Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Today, I read "EMMA'S NAUVOO", edited by Ron Romig and published by John Whitmer Books. It consists of transcripts, newspaper articles, and personal anecdotes and it's all about Emma Smith Bidamon post-Joseph's martrydom. It's a fascinating read, especially those anecdotes related by her four sons...sons she shared with Joseph.

By virtually all accounts, she was an adored and loved figure. She was extremely loyal to her mother-in-law, Lucy Mack Smith, and cared for her in her own home until she died. She was married to Joseph Smith 18 years and to Major Bidamon for 35 years.

Her sons, Joseph III and Alexander, give a beautiful account of her final hours. Emma had recently had a dream where Joseph came to pick her up. He told her to "come with me, it is time for you to come with me." She "put on her bonnet and shawl" and went with him, without questioning why or how. Together they entered a mansion, which was beautiful, and he showed her the various rooms. In one room was a nursery and there she found her toddler, Don Carlos. She ran towards the baby and embraced him and "wept with joy over the child". After she calmed down, she asked Joseph, "...where are the rest of my children?". He told her, "Emma, be patient. And you shall have all of your children. Then she saw standing by his side a personage of light, even the Lord Jesus Christ".

At about the time of this vision, her son Joseph III had a dream about her showing him her new home and how beautiful it was. Her face had no worry on it and she looked young again. Joseph III woke up knowing that his mother would be with his father soon.

Her sons relate that just before she died, she called, "Joseph, Joseph". He said, "My mother raised right up, lifted her left hand as high as she could raise it, and called, Joseph. I put my left arm under her shoulder, took her hand in mine, saying, Mother,what is it, laid her hand on her bosom, and she was dead; she had passed away."

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The little wren hasn't been seen for almost 48 hours...I think he may have moved back in with his partner...the little wren's partner's name?...wait for it...wait for it...wren and stempy...hahahahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahah

Monday, February 18, 2008

Well, I try not to indulge in magical thinking...truly I do...but somethings, or events, or occurrences jolt me back to my woo woo-ness....for instance...

My mailbox is situated next to my neighbors, very very close in fact...the dear little lady has been dead for several months and her house remains empty...all the mail was stopped months ago...so the other day, her mailbox was open...no big deal, I just closed it up and went on my way...the next day, it was opened again...no big deal again, I just closed it up again...the next time it happened, I started to pay attention...I'm telling you, this is how I figger things out in life...I look for messages, and since Heavenly Father knows this about me, I think He uses it for that purposes...anyway, the whole mail box thing had my attention...now, let's think...mailboxes are used to receive messages, right?...right!...this one was opened against the odds...it's a metal box which fits quite tightly...so, now I'm pondering what message is coming my way...

AND THIS YESTERDAY...

This weird little wren was sitting on my side mirror of my car...just staring and pecking and flailing himself against it...I just noticed today that his mate (or someone) has a nest in the eaves of my carport but still...how flippin' odd is this?....I drive away and he waits and then gets right back at his perch on the mirror...I can't figure this little creature out...Wrens are known for "cooperative breeding", where the young will stay with their same parents for two or more breeding seasons and help with their siblings, interesting,...also, they are known for vocal duetting...the male sings a "cheerily cheerily cheerily" song and the female responds with a "chatter" song.(www.tc.umn.edu/~barke042/Wren.php)...again, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....cooperative breeding and vocal duetting....are these birds LDS?

And also, last night Peter and I looked at 2.5 acres of horse property up in Joshua Tree...(sorry Em...I'll explain later)...and I FELL IN LOVE with this house and land...IN LOVE I TELLS YA...I could have chickens and fainting goats and all kinds of good stuff...PLUS, the house was professionally decorated by a southwestern artist who received carte blanc from the owners and it's ALL INCLUDED...But, Peter didn't want it....but, I'm still trying...it's so quaint and charming...all cowboy-booty-ish *sigh*...but I shall persist until the NEXT BIG THING comes along...so I wonder if this has anything to do with THAT?....

Friday, February 15, 2008

I picked up little Eli from school at 5:00 to head to the Redland's Temple in San Bernadino...they kids were doing baptism, so to kill the time, I did some sealings and initiatories...it was great, as always.

But the most wonderful part of the evening was when I picked up little Eli (called this because my own Eli is called "big" Eli to denote age)...anyway, he didn't see me watching him. He was getting some food from a roach coach (hot dogs and such). He went back to pick up his gear and apparently he had been sitting and visiting with a school mate in a wheelchair who appeared to have cerebral palsy. Eli was talking to him and gathering up his gear and as Eli left, he stopped. bent over and hugged this little guy. I was so pleased for the kid, but also for Eli. There were no other peers around this child except for Eli. Bravo kid...you are turning out fine...I stand all amazed...

I like to see that this is the stuff the Lord knows about...not just our crimes of omission, but actual, practical knowledge of reaching out in love to another human being...a sister or a brother...Please tell me things like above get recorded and mean something at the end...please...

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Well, today Gia and went to her family physician. We asked, and received, a B12 shot for Gia, as well as a number of nutional supplements. Dr. Steinberg doesn't believe in writing Rx's, which is perhaps best for an old lady, tho I would never refer to Gia as old in front of her.

Today she was depressed...she received a letter from her daughter in Jordan. She never sends money, only "kisses"...sorry, but that doesn't cut it. I'm going to write her a letter...a strong one...she's crazy to not do anything for her mom...NOTHING...

So today we made her funeral plans. She wants to be cremated, which is fine...the guy in town that does that stuff is LDS, so cool. Then, she really wants her ashes to be sent back to her family's cemetary in Tuscany (she came from a very wealthy family), but now the cemetary is in extended family's hands and she doesn't know if they would accept her...WHAT?...this is so foreign to me (no pun intended)...So I asked her if her daughter could call this family in Italy and arrange it...no, Fluvia can't do this...she doesn't want to get involved...her mother says, "I'll have to figure out what to do with my paintings (old water colors that she did, who knows how many years ago)...I asked her if we could send them to Fluvia and she said, "No, she doesn't want them"...MY EYES POPPING OUT....fine...I'll take them..and then the bomb drops, she goes over once again her mechanism for contacting me after the "take off" and I realize then that there is no where to put her ashes...it was so sad and bothering her...she didn't know what was to become of her...so I told her I would keep them safe until they somehow made it back to Tuscany to be buried/scattered...she was so pleased with this...she said, "Really? You would have me?"...I told her I would be honored and we would always be close together...this calmed her down but DANG-GONE...say what you want about rude Americans but I think we take better care of our mothers....AARRGGHH...at age 91, she should just have joy but she's going blind and deaf and can't walk unassisted so she has to plan all this stuff....Thank the Lord for the Gospel...thank you thank you thank you....me out.

The above is a "soul burst"...it's a way to capture someone's ashes in a glass sculpture...ain't it cool?...they also have oil lamps...this is so stinkin cool....

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

The above picture was taken in Italy during the war...I just love it!!!

So today, I was taking Momma Gia to the eye doctor...she's the 91-year-old youngster from Church who I've adopted...she is from Italy, Tuscany actually, she was recently baptized, so as a ward missionary I took to looking in on her and ta da...we're buds.

Anyway, so today, while we're waiting for her eyes to dilate, she's holding my hand and making plans (again) for when she "takes off"...her words for dying...she likes to tell me how she's going to come back, in white (she has not been to the temple yet) and she will visit me...but she says she won't be able to talk but if I'm focused, I will understand what she wants to tell me...I always agree to what she says...number one, because I'm so stinkin' intrigued by it and number two, why would I argue with her?...she's got a hot Italian temper and the hands start flying around and it's scary...so back to our conversation...after she tells me, once again, her plans after the take off, she says to me, "You are so precious to me, you are like, Gia the 2nd, just like me"...I agreed with her and we patted each other hands and then she says really loudly, "So, Gia the second, how do you like living with these big breasts? Huh? Eez not so fun when we're old, yes?"...aye carumba!!!

And tomorrow, we get to do it yet again with another doctor...how can she top this?...stay tuned...

Friday, February 8, 2008

A proud (nay, well-pleased) shout out to my baby, on being nothing short of wonderful...yes, I'm allowed to say it Eli, deal with it...served an extremely valiant mission, returned with honor, married our girl Abby (the Abbot)in the Temple, worked 2-3 jobs while finishing his education...WHICH, by the way, was no easy feat as he made it into the Fisher School of Business at THE Ohio State University, which was extraordinarily competitive, he graduates next month (on his 26th birthday no less) and is interviewing for his chosen career as a logistics business manager...no I don't quite understand what it is either I just know he took freakin' hard courses that made my knees weak, interviewing with one of the three VPs (on the globe) of his company...he and Abby appear to have a charmed life, and they have been blessed, but they have each worked hard to get what they have and I respect them as much as I love them...and that's saying something...

Thumbs up son, you are a bright spot in our family and we adore you....Rock that Future baby boy!!!

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

So, today I voted and it was a mess...I'm truly worried about our votes here in the Coachella Valley in Southern California. If I wasn't a more honest person, I could have illegally voted several times.

At approximately 7:15 this morning, I thought I would go vote and get it done. It was on the way to Palm Springs, where I had an appt, so the timing was perfect. I get to this big Doral Princess Resort and I report for voting...there are about four people working, twiddling their thumbs with nothing to do...and of course, I have to report to the crankiest man on the planet...oh YAY...but, what the heck, I'm not going to let it get me down cause I'M VOTING!!!...but, they can't find me...no name...they send me down the corridor and to the left where there is another precinct...I think, "okay, not a problem"....go to the other precinct, another woman and I together, and there is only one sweet little man there, sitting at a table surrounded by mounds of papers and procedures, AND HE KNOWS NOTHING...I'm actually a little worried for him because he seems rather fragile and easily broken and I know, when the rush starts, he will be devoured alive by angry, annoyed Republicans...doh!...voters...so I try to be helpful and patient because HE CAN'T FIND ME EITHER...ME OR THE OTHER WOMAN...well, this woman is just beside herself at this point...she finally says huffily, "Well, you've just lost a vote!"...I wanted to correct her and say, "No, YOU just lost a vote, this man isn't running for office", but it didn't seem like such a good idea...so he still can't find me, or any of the other people that are strolling in so I ask him if I can vote on a provisional ballot?...oh, no problem the nice little "eez-not-my-station" man says so he gives me a provisional vote in a folder and the only items on it are issues...NO CANDIDATES!!!...I step back to the table, which has formed a seething, angry crowd, not unlike the souls carrying torches and pitchforks as they came to kill Frankenstein and I realize, "hey...my vote is going nowhere and fast, what would Super Voter do?...so I ran around the corner, locatet a "poll inspector"...who just must have pulled the shortest stick on the route and I ask if any of the people who are sitting here rather idle could come and help the poor man being blugeoned to death by patriotic people...who, by the way, are of the "Greatest Generation"...don't get me started...and you know what he does?...he get's into an argument with the workers there about sending their "supervisor" because "she knows nothing"...oh, by all means, send the person who doesn't know anything, that will fix things nicely...so finally I make contact with the "inspector" and say, "You need to help this man NOW"...and I leave...the inspector arrives and all the scene took was some random confetti and it would have been a Laugh-In skit (go back in a time machine if you don't get that...youngster), so finally, I get the right voting stuff...mind you, he still has my voting information on the issues so now I'm revoting for the same things...and now it's time to place my vote in the idiot-proof box saved for just this occasion...the inspector finally locates the idiot box for our precinct, snaps off the lid (where we would normally place our votes through a mail-like slot) and what's inside?...GARBAGE!!! TRASH!!! I was crazy at this point but there were no puppies or kitties to kick and WWII veterans just hate it when you kick their prosthetic legs so I fnally placed my vote in there and made sure he didn't count my previous vote for the issues...and then I realized, no one took my name, my number, my ID...NOTHING...so now I'm thinking, "What if I went to several precincts, gave them my name, which they would inevitably NOT have, and vote provisional?...I could cast votes all over the Valley for my candidate...but I did not do it...because I am, regardless of how this entry reads, a person of integrity...I don't really kick puppies or kitties, nor have I ever kicked anyone in their prosthetic leg...I did knock on one once...and that is truth...me out.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Thank you, President Hinckley, for being the prophet while I was raising my children and building my own testimony. Thank you for your example, your words of counsel, your many blessings, and for your humor. Yours will be the voice that echoes through our memories of Primary, Young Women, Young Men, Relief Society and Priesthood meetings. Thank you for your life spent in service to the Lord's Church. Enjoy your (short) rest and the reunion with your beloved Margery and others. Who greeted you? Whose hands did you shake upon arrival to Paradise? Your life is still an inspiration...we love you and although you lived 97 years, it just didn't feel long enough...again, Thanks.